Our tracking guide covers what each status actually means. This one is about the specific worry of watching a status sit unchanged for days — when that's normal, and when it isn't.
Why tracking goes quiet
International shipments pass through several handoff points — export processing, an international transit hub, customs, and then the domestic postal network at the destination. Scanning tends to be sparse right around these handoffs, since the package can sit in a facility for processing without generating a new tracking event the whole time. A few days of no movement right after a "departed facility" or "arrived at destination country" scan is common and usually not a problem on its own.
When it's worth actually worrying
There's no single universal cutoff, since normal transit time varies a lot by shipping method and destination (see our shipping times guide for typical ranges). As a rough guide, a gap beyond about two weeks with genuinely zero movement — not just infrequent updates, but nothing at all — is a reasonable point to stop assuming it's a normal lull and start checking in actively, especially if your buyer protection window is also approaching its deadline.
Specifically stuck in customs
A customs status that holds far longer than the rest of the journey took can mean duties are unpaid or documentation is incomplete — related territory to our tariffs and duties guide. Some countries require the recipient to take action (submitting an ID, confirming a customs form) before a held package moves again, so it's worth checking your own country's customs authority directly rather than assuming it'll resolve itself.
What to actually do
Message the seller with your order number and ask them to check with their shipping carrier — sellers sometimes have access to more detailed tracking information than what's shown to the buyer. If there's no real progress and your buyer protection deadline is getting close, don't wait past it; open a dispute using the process in our returns and refunds guide before the window closes rather than after.
Frequently asked questions
Why hasn't my AliExpress tracking updated in days?
Most commonly it's sitting at a handoff point between carriers — like the transfer from the international leg to your country's domestic postal service — where scanning is less frequent than during active transit. A few days of silence at one of these handoff points is normal and not itself a sign of a lost package.
How long can an AliExpress package show no movement before it's a real problem?
There's no universal number, since it depends heavily on shipping method and destination country, but a gap beyond roughly two weeks with zero movement — especially past your buyer protection deadline's approach — is a reasonable point to stop assuming it's normal and start actively checking in.
What should I do if my AliExpress package is stuck in customs?
A 'customs clearance' status that holds for an unusually long time can mean duties are owed and unpaid, or that documentation is missing. Check whether your country's customs authority requires you to take any action (some do), and if the status hasn't changed after a reasonable wait, message the seller and consider opening a dispute before your buyer protection window closes.
A stuck tracking page hurts in proportion to what's in the box. Keeping early orders in the under-$15 range turns this whole page from stressful to mildly annoying — which is the correct emotional size for a $7 parcel.
